Day: July 9, 2015

Title: Him

Authors: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Release Date: 14th July, 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age: New Adult

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Reviewed by Sarah Bookhooked

Where to start other than to say how much I loved this story! With the book’s opening chapter heading reading, “They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?” That’s it…I was hooked right until the end of a fantastic epilogue!

Loving his best friend for so long without him knowing was something Wes had done for years. Going from meeting Jamie at hockey camp at Lake Placid as kids, then spending every summer together. After one drunken night of fooling around together, Wes simply walks away without talking about what happened. Fast forward four years and Wes didn’t realize just how much he still loves and wants Jamie. Until he saw him again. Every summer, Jamie went back to the same camp to coach the kids which he loved doing. Wes sees this as his perfect opportunity to get to spend some time with Jamie and hopefully get his best friend back.

Jamie was more than shocked to see Wes coaching at summer camp and was looking forward to finding out why he lost his best friend. Finding out Wes was gay didn’t make him see his friend any differently. But after one night in a bar and couple of drinks, all it took was a guy chatting Wes up for Jamie to suddenly feel jealous for someone else to be taking Wes’s attention away from him.

Quote – “The thought of Wes hooking up with someone tonight pisses me off. Jealous? A little voice mocks. Screw that. I’m not fucking jealous. I don’t care what Wes does—or who he does—but we were supposed to hang out tonight. Me and him. Not him and some random guy he met.”

Or was it that for the first time in his life he was feeling something towards a guy who just so happened to be his friend? Hmm… only one way to find out; he bites the bullet. After leaving the bar, he gives Wes a scorching kiss which wakens up his body and this is the start of a journey for Jamie…is he Gay? Is he straight? Is he bisexual? He really doesn’t know, but Wes is there for him because after all, he has always loved him more than just a friend. He can’t say no to him or the opportunity to be with him.

This was such a lovely duel POV read for both characters. There’s Wes who knows who he is and who he loves, but doesn’t want to lose his career offer in the NHL, Toronto. And then Jamie learning about himself and unsure about if his future of going to Denver into the NHL, and if it’s what he really wants to do. But it’s not a story without bumps because what kind of story would that be? What happens when summer is over? Wes leaves but Jamie has to see him to tell him how he feels.

Quote – “I didn’t get a chance to tell you in Lake Placid, so I’m telling you right now. Just in case we can ever get more than a summer. I love you, and I wish things were different.”

It was Wes’s reaction that made Jamie tell him he loved him. So perfect but I’ll not give that away.

These ladies know how to write a fantastic m/m story, and the steam factor…oh boy, they can most definitely write that!!! I can honestly say I loved every page. Reading these guys journey and seeing that they both got the beautiful ending the both deserved made me so happy. Well done for such a brilliant story ladies!

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Ivy Years is her bestselling series. Centered around the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college, The Year We Fell Down began breaking hearts in March, 2014. There are three novels and a novella in the series so far. Click here for The Ivy Years updates.

For lovers of angsty snowboarding heroes, Sarina also writes the Gravity series! Coming in From the Cold features a downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today. Falling From the Sky is book #2, about a freestyle snowboarder who nearly loses his life in the halfpipe.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

“The Contradiction of Solitude was crazy, wait until you see what’s going on with Nora!”

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AUTHOR’S BIO

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well Reclaiming the Sand, and the Twisted Love series (Lead Me Not out in 2014 and Follow Me Back coming in 2015) from Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.